Slipper with chenille surfacing



l. B. WITLIN SLIPPER WITH CHENILLE SURFACING Filed June 10, 1944 De' 7, 194s.

/f/ INVENTOR. /J d c/a fe /3. wif/ Patented Dec. 7, 1948 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIPPER WITH CHENILLE SURFACING Application June 10, 1944, Serial No. 539,621

(Cl. SI- 9) 4 Claims.

This invention has to do with a shoe or shoe construction and has reference to a shoe construction particularly suited for incorporation in a slipper. or the like. It is a general object of my invention to provide a shoe involving an improved construction and embodying various features making it neat and pleasing in appearance and practical and durable of construction.

It is common in the manufacture of shoes of various types including slippers to fabricate them from a number of different pieces or sections each of which is fashioned from a sheet of material and it is common to stitch or otherwise join the several sections over a last to give the nished article the desired shape. With the constructions commonly employed certain parts are left with exposed edges and there are marked limitations upon the designs that can be practically incorporated.

It is a general object of my invention to provide a shoe or slipper construction employing materials to which surfacing is applied and in which the applied surfacing may be such as to cover the entire exterior of the shoe. With the construction of the present invention I employ bodies of sheet material which are joined together to make the shoe and I apply a tufted surfacing to the bodies of sheet material, for instance the type of surfacing known as chenille, so that all of the exposed portions are covered, leaving no edges such as are common in shoes of ordinary construction yet the bodies have uncovered parts that can be readily joined in sewing the shoe together.

It is another general object of my invention to provide an improved outsole employing as a body, or base, a sheet of material such as a fabric and having a surfacing applied to the sheet of material, or body, to occupy the tread portion and the marginal edge where the sheet of material is turned in for making connection with other parts of the shoe.

It is another object of my invention to provide a shoe construction involving a single, continuous sheet of body material such as a sheet of fabric forming distinct parts of the shoe, such as the outsole, and also the cover of the heel wedge, which parts have different surfaclngs applied thereto enhancing the ornamental appearance of the shoe.

The various objects and features of my invention will 4be fully understood from the following detailed description of a typlcalpreferred form and application of my inventiomthroughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the sheet forming the outsole and cover for the heel of the shoe provided by my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the element shown in Fig. 1 with the body portions of the heel cover turned up to overlap and give shape to the cover. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing said element after surfacing has been applied to the body of the heel cover as well as the body of the outsole. Fig. 4 is a detailed transverse sectional view taken as indicated by line 4-4 on Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view of the upper showing it before being shaped and attached to the other parts, and showing it viewed from its inner or under side. Fig. 6 is a view of the inner sole employed in the shoe showing it viewed from its inner or under side, and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal detailed sectional view of the finished or completed shoe.

The shoe provided by my present invention involves, generally, an outsole A, a heel B, an upper or vamp C, and an inner sole D.

The outsole A involves generally a forward or sole portion X and a rear or heel portion Y. In accordance with the construction of the present invention the outsole A is formed of a body, or base portion, I0 in the form of a sheet of material, preferably fabric, and surfacing I I applied to certain portions only of the body, preferably only the tread and fold portions. In carrying out my invention I prefer to form the body I0 of fabric which has considerable strength and body and which is suitable to receive surfacing such as I will describe.

In the preferred construction which I have illustrated the body I0 of the outsole and the body I2 of the heel cover are formed of one continuous sheet of material. In this case the lower surface of the bodies Ill and I2 corresponding to the areas which form the thread X and the heel Y is covered completely with surfacing II. A marginal iiange I4 is provided on the forward portion of the body I0 where it has no portions of the body I2 of the heel merging with it. The flange 28 of the sections of the heel cover body I2 of the ange I4 are left unsurfaced in the formation of the shoe, as I have shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

'I'he surfacing II which I provide is of the type known generally as chenille, this type of surfacing being applied by well known machines in rows similar, generally, to embroidery. I. preferably, employ chenille surfacing which is stitched through the body I0 in which case the several rows provided for covering the tread and heel portions X and Y may take on a pattern generally, to that indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. I provide a type of chenille surfacing and arrange the rows thereof sufciently close together so that the entire under surfaces of the tread and heel portions X and Y are completely covered thereby.

In accordance with my invention the outermost row I6 of surfacing occurs along the inner line of the flange I4 and continues along the line where the body I2 of the heel cover joins the body IU of the outsole, or, in other words, occurs at the line of fold where the flange I4 is folded over or in, as shown in Fig. 4, and Where the heel cover parts are folded to turn up. As a result of thus locating the outermost line I6 of surfacing the edge or corner that would otherwise occur by reason of turning the flange I4 in or turning the parts I2 up is effectively covered or surfaced so that it requires no special finishing and is never unsightly or raw. It may be said that the edge that would otherwise be bare is covered with a fringe and this is most apparent when the outermost row of surfacing is of a contrasting color.

From the construction thus far described it will be apparent that the initial operation or step in the formation of the shoe is the cutting of the body I and its connected heel cover body part I2 from a sheet of suitable material to have the general form or contour shown in Fig. 1 and then applying the lines of surfacing II so that the under side is nished as I have described.

The heel B in the preferred form of construction involves a main portion in the form of a core or filler 20 of material that gives the heel portion of the shoe the desired shape and height and a cover which extends over the exterior of the filler. The particular ller 20 illustrated is of the general type known as a heel wedge. In practice I may employ a heel wedge formed of wood, or like material, the bottom of which is shaped to fit over the heel portion Y of the outsole A, while the vertical walls 2I are adapted to be covered by the body parts I2 which join and extend upwardly from the margins of the heel portion Y of outsole A.

The body I2 of the heel cover is preferably formed integral or continuous with the body I0 of the outsole A and I prefer to shape or fashion it to fit the wedge 20 of the heel prior to surfacing 22 being applied. In the form of the invention illustrated I provide suitable cuts 25 in the body I2 of the heel cover extending inward from its outer or maginal portion to the point where it joins the body I0 of the outsole. These cuts may be simple parting of the material, or they may involve the removal of part of the material as I have shown in Fig. 1. To fashion or shape the body I2 in the desired manner I turn the several body sections up along the line where they join the heel portion Y of the outsole and then overlap the edges formed by the cuts 25. These overlapped parts may be joined by cement or the like, giving the body I2 of the heel cover the desired shape. In the case illustrated I have shown them joined by stitching 26.

In accordance with my preferred construction the body I2 of the heel cover has a marginal flange 28 designed to be turned in or over the top of the heel wedge as shown in Fig. 7, which ange in effect forms a continuation of the ange I4 of the outsole A.

I apply surfacing 22 to the body I2 of the heel cover after it has been shaped as I have shown in Fig 2. I apply the surfacing to the heel cover body I2 to cover it out to the point or to the line Z of the ange 28. In Figs. 1 and 2 I indicate the inner line or limit of the flange 28 by the line Z. In Fig. 3 of the drawings I show surfacing 22 applied to the body I2 of the heel cover to occupy it all with the exception of the flange 28. In Fig. 7 of the drawings I show the finished construction wherein the flange 28 is turned in along the uppermost line of surfacing so that the edge formed by the turn or fold is covered by surfacing. It will be understood, of course, that when the heel wedge 20 is in place, as shown in Fig. 7, it can be secured by a suitable adhesive so that it remains attached to the outsole A and a suitable adhesive may be employed to hold the heel cover and its flange on the wedge.

The upper or vamp C is formed of a sheet or body 30 of suitable material patterned in a manner such as I have shown ln Fig. 5 and having a marginal ange portion 3| designed to be turned in to be secured to the outsole A, as shown in Fig. 7. In the preferred construction the top or outer side of the upper body 30 is covered with surfacing 33 like the surfacings I I and 22 in which case the outermost line 34 of such surfacing occurs where the ange 3| starts so that when the ange is turned in the line of bend is covered by surfacing. Where it is desired a lining 40 may be provided in the upper in a manner such as I have shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

The inner sole D may be of the type commonly found in shoes or slippers. However, I prefer to form it of a body 6I! of fabric, or the like, similar to the bodies I0, I2 and 30 above described, and I apply a surfacing 6I to the body 60. The surfacing 6I may be of the chenille type above described applied in lines as I have shown in Fig. 6, to entirely occupy the uppermost or exposed surface of the inner sole as shown in Fig. 7. The inner sole may be secured in place in the assembly as shown in Fig. 7 in any suitable manner. For instance, it can be advantageously held by a suitable adhesive. The inner sole of course is fashioned or shaped to occupy the tread portion X of the body and to continue rearward therefrom to cover the top of the wedge 20. In the particular construction shown the heel wedge 20 is hollowed out or provided with a recess 'II and a pad or body 'I2 of cushioning material is arranged therein to add to the comfort of the shoe. 4

In carrying out my invention I not only apply the chenille type surfacing to the body parts, as above described, to give them body and wearing qualities, but I employ chenilling or coverings of different colors or textures to add to the appearance of the finished article. Since the coverings are applied in lines or strips, as I have indicated throughout the drawings, it is convenient to incorporate patternsinto the finished construction, for instance, patterns or variations of colLr can be incorporated into any one part of the article or shoe, or contrasts in color can be gained between the different sections or parts of the shoe. As an example I may employ one color on the outsole A, another or different color on the covering of the heel, and I may employ various colors or patterns on the upper or vamp C. By providing the lines of surfacing at or parallel with the lines along which bends or joints occur all of the parts that would otherwise be bare or exposed and would require careful finishing or decoration, are covered.

Another outstanding feature of the construc- 5 tion is the manner in which the surfacing is applied over the body I2 of the heel cover after that body has been shaped as shown in Fig. 2, thus eliminating ny exposed or visible joints in the heel cover and thus materially reinforcing or strengthening the heel cover. In the iinal construction the outsole A and the heel cover form one continuous or integral structure which is free of unsightly joints and which is strong and such as to maintain the desired shape.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the speciic details herein set forth, but Wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art, and fall within the scope of the following claims:

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A slipper comprising a vamp, an insole, an outsole and a rigid heel wedge disposed between the insole and outsole at the rear portion of the slipper and terminating in the shank portion, the outsole at its rear end having a portion overlying the sides and extending over the top of the heel wedge, the outer portion of the vamp, insole and outsole having a chenille finish only over those portions which are outwardly disposed in the nished slipper whereby the edges of the parts which do not have a chenille finish may lie in a compact relation.

2. A blank including. sole and heel portions and a marginal flange and lines of surfacing in the form of chenille applied to the sole and heel portions leaving the flange free of surfacing, the line of joinder between said sole and heel portions and the ange being deiined by a line of surfacing.

3. A shoe including, an outsole having a heel portion, a vamp, a flexible inner sole with a heel portion, a heel wedge between the heel portions of the outsole and inner sole, a cover over the sides of the heel wedge, the exteriors only of said outsole, vamp, inner sole and cover being completely covered by surfacing in the form of chenille, the heel wedge including a substantially rigid body with a soft top pad thereon covered by the heel portion of the inner sole, the cover being integral with the outsole.

4. In a slipper, a vamp, an insole, an outsole, a rigid heel wedge disposed between the insole and outsole at the rear portion of the slipper and terminating in the shank portion, a soft pad between the top of the heel wedge and the portion o! the insole overlying the heel wedge, the outsole at its rear end having a portion overlying the sides and extending over the top of the heel wedge, the outer portion of the vamp, insole and outsole having a chenille finish only over those portions which are outwardly disposed in the finished slipper whereby the edges of the parts which do not have a chenille finish may lie in a compact relatiqn.

ISADORE B. WI'I'LIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 30 Number Name Date 547,982 Black Oct. 15, 1895 1,136,150 McGrath Apr. 20, 1915 1,611,951 Robertson Dec. 28, 1926 1,731,741 Glidden et a1. Oct. 15, 1929 5 2,160,756 Schreck May 30, 1939 2,220,534 McLean Nov. 5, 1940 2,230,504 Rudner Feb. 4, 1941 2,370,109 Pipitoue Feb. 20, 1945 

